Method and apparatus for modifying behavior of a user via a network

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for modifying a behavior of a user are disclosed. For example, the method determines a baseline of a behavior to be modified for a user, the baseline comprising at least one triggering event that is established for the behavior to be modified and at least one action to be taken when the at least one triggering event is detected, detects the at least one triggering event that is established for the behavior to be modified for the user, identifies the at least one action to be performed when the at least one triggering event is detected, and performs the at least action that is identified.

The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for modifyingbehavior of a user via a communications network, e.g., a communicationsnetwork of a network service provider.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The teaching of the present disclosure can be readily understood byconsidering the following detailed description in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an example network related to the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a flowchart of an example method for modifyingbehavior of a user; and

FIG. 3 depicts a high-level block diagram of a computer suitable for usein performing the functions described herein.

To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have beenused, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common tothe figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for modifyingbehavior of a user via a communication network, e.g., a communicationsnetwork of a communications network service provider (broadly a networkservice provider). The teachings of the present disclosure can beapplied via any type of wired or wireless communications network.

When a user wishes to modify a behavior, the user may find a qualifiedprofessional, e.g., a doctor or a psychiatrist, to treat the behavior.However, the qualified professional may not be continuously accessible.In addition, the effectiveness of a treatment is assessed by thequalified professional during visits, e.g., visits to a doctor's orpsychiatrist's office. As such, modifications to treatment plans aremade infrequently. In addition, when progress is slow, the personwishing to modify his/her behavior gets discouraged and the compliancelevel by the person to prescribed procedures may decrease. If the personthen sees regression in the modifying of the behavior, he/she may becomeeven more convinced that the modification of the behavior isunachievable.

In order to clearly illustrate the teachings of the current disclosure,the following terminologies will first be described:

-   Internet of Things;-   Sensor;-   Environmental sensor;-   Biometric sensor; and-   Actuator;

Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a network of objects, e.g., thingshaving the necessary electronics, software, and network connectivity tocollect and exchange data. For example, the Internet of Things may haveInternet Protocol addresses for Internet connectivity. An object that ispart of the IoT network may be referred to as an IoT object. An IoTobject has the ability to send and/or receive data without requiring ahuman-to-human or a human-to-computer interaction. For example, a heartmonitor that is implanted in a person, e.g., a user, may be assigned anInternet Protocol (IP) address and may send monitoring data to a serverover the Internet. In another example, a carbon monoxide detector maydetect carbon monoxide levels and may send an alert when a threshold isexceeded.

A sensor refers to a device that detects an event or a change in anenvironment or a living thing and provides an output that indicates theevent or the change in the respective environment or living thing thatis detected. The sensor may be categorized as either an environmentalsensor or a biometric sensor. The sensor may be an IoT object.

An environmental sensor detects events or changes in a physical space,namely in the environment. For example, a sensor may be implemented todetect events or changes in the air within a physical space, e.g., airtemperature, air pressure, air quality, etc. The detection of an eventor a change in air quality may be for detecting toxins in the air,oxygen level, carbon dioxide level, carbon monoxide level, and so on.For example, a smoke detector may have sensors that detect temperature,ionization, photoelectric events and/or carbon dioxide level. Anothertype of environmental sensor may be implemented for detecting soundand/or vibration. For example, an audio sensor and/or a motion sensitivevideo sensor may be implemented. Yet another type of environmentalsensor may be for detecting presence of an object or person in aphysical space and/or a change in a location of an object or a personwithin the physical space. For example, a motion activated video sensoror audio sensor may be used to detect a presence of an object or personwithin the physical space or a change of location within the physicalspace. In another example, a contact based sensor may detect an event ora change when an entryway, e.g., a door, is opened. In another example,an environmental sensor may be designed for detecting biological eventsor changes in an environment, as opposed to on a living thing. Forinstance, a an environmental sensor may be for detecting chemicals,e.g., pesticides in water, for detecting airborne pathogens, fordetecting toxins in a room, for detecting an ozone level, for detectingdrug residues in a body of water, for detecting drug residues in a fooditem, etc.

In one example, the environmental sensor may also determine a level of ameasured parameter for each change that is detected. For example, if achange in a sound level is detected, the environment sensor may alsodetermine the sound level (broadly a measured parameter) in decibels.Other measured parameters may comprise: a temperature level, a vibrationlevel, a brightness level, a moisture level, an odor or vapor level, andthe like.

A biometric sensor may be implemented for detecting biological events orchanges on or within a living thing. There are numerous types ofbiometric sensors for various applications. For example, a biometricsensor may be a Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) sensor for measuringelectrical conductance on skin, an Electroencephalogram (EEG) sensor fordetecting brainwave changes, an Electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor fordetecting heartbeat changes, an Electromyography (EMG) sensor fordetecting muscle activity, a sphygmomanometer for monitoring bloodpressure, etc. For an illustrative example, the GSR sensor may be usedto detect conduction on skin due to sweating. The change in the amountof sweating may be an indication of changes in physiological and/orpsychological conditions of an individual.

In one embodiment, a biometric sensor may also be able to detect acomposition of a biological component, e.g., a fluid comprising sweat.For instance, the composition of the sweat may be analyzed to detect andmonitor various medical conditions of a patient. For example, thebiometric sensor may be for one or more of: detecting a stress level ofa patient, whether a patient is dehydrated, whether a patient'selectrolyte levels are normal, whether a patient's metabolite levels arenormal, whether a patient's protein levels are normal, whether apatient's amino acid levels are normal, and so on. An example of asensor designed to detect a metabolite level is a sensor that detectsglucose levels.

For both environmental and biometric sensors, the sensor of the presentdisclosure detects events or changes as applied for a specificindividual user whose behavior is being modified. For example, if twopeople, person A and person B, live in a house and person A is seekinghelp to modify his/her behavior regarding sleep patterns, the sensor ofthe present disclosure is able to detect when person A is sleeping,waking up, being restless, sleep walking, etc. For example, biometricinformation of person A, video recording, audio recording, etc. may beused to identify which events that are detected by the sensor areassociated with person A. Events in the same household that are detectedfor another person may then be omitted, if these events do not apply tothe specific individual user being monitored.

However, in some scenarios, events that are detected by a sensor foranother individual may apply to the specific individual whose behavioris being modified. For example, if persons A and B are couples sleepingin one bedroom, person A's sleep pattern may be associated with person Bbeing a sleep walker. In another example, a stress level of person A maybe associated with disagreements with person B. In such scenarios,events that are detected for another individual are further analyzed todetermine whether these events should also be included as events thatare applicable for the specific individual whose behavior is beingmodified.

An actuator refer to a device that comprises a mechanism (e.g., anelectrical and/or mechanical device) to control an aspect of anenvironment or an object, e.g., an IoT object. In one example, anactuator may control the environment by converting energy into an actionthat affects the environment. For instance, for a room, an environmentalactuator may control a light setting, a thermostat setting, a fansetting, a speaker setting, a voice tone setting of an automatedannouncement system, etc. In another example, an actuator may control apersonal IoT object. For instance, for a specific person, the actuatormay control a headphone (e.g., for providing an audio input to theperson, playing soothing music, playing a verbal announcement, playingan alarm audio signal (e.g., a beep, a bing, a bong, a buzz and thelike) and the like), a tactile device (e.g., for inducing a physicalvibration), a medication dispenser (e.g., if a biometric sensor detecteda medical condition that requires a dispensing of medication), and soon.

It should be noted that the actuator of the present disclosure may be anactuator that is triggered via any standard mechanism for triggering anactuator. For example, the actuator may be a hydraulic actuator that istriggered via a hydraulic power, a pneumatic actuator that is triggeredby compressing air, an electric actuator triggered by an electricalcurrent, a thermal actuator triggered by a thermal energy, a magneticactuator triggered by a magnetic energy, a mechanical actuator triggeredby motion (e.g., rotary motion), etc. The actuator may be an IoT object,as described above.

In one embodiment, the action that is performed by an actuator may be anaction that is intended to make or induce a change in a condition of aphysical space. For example, the action may change a temperature, anairflow, a lighting, an audio level, etc. in the physical space.

In one embodiment, the action that is performed by the actuator may bean action for alerting someone regarding a condition that is detectedvia a biometric sensor or an environmental sensor. In one example, thealert may be provided to an individual user within a physical space inwhich the condition is detected. In another example, the alert may besent to the individual user who is being monitored via a biometricsensor. In another example, the alert may be a social message that issent to the individual user. For example, the social message may be aposting at a social network website, a text message that is sent to theindividual user's cell phone, etc. In one embodiment, the alert may besent to a caregiver or a medical professional. For example, the alertmay be sent to a doctor of the individual user who is being monitoredvia a biometric sensor. In one embodiment, the alert may be sent to aguardian, e.g., a family member of the individual user whose behavior isbeing monitored.

In one embodiment, the action that is performed by the actuator may bean action to induce a change in a detected biometric condition of anindividual user. For example, the action may be to dispense a medicationto lower the heart rate of the individual user. In one embodiment, thedispensing of the medication may be automated. For example, if acomposition of a sweat of an individual user being monitored whilesleeping indicates that the individual user needs additional insulin,the action may be to dispense insulin automatically, waking up theindividual user (e.g., via ab audio or vibration output), and so on. Inanother example, if the composition of the sweat indicates that theindividual user has low glucose level and a sensor indicates that theindividual user has not eaten for several hours, the action may be toalert the individual user to consume food, to alert a caregiver toprovide food to the individual user, to alert a doctor that theindividual user seems to be not eating enough, etc.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example network 100 related to the presentdisclosure. In one illustrative embodiment, the network 100 comprises ahome 111 with Internet of Things (IoT) devices 112-114, access networks101-102, a core network 103, a system 125 (e.g., a server) of personnelproviding behavior modification services (e.g., a physician, therapist,and the like), a system 126 (e.g., a server) of a caretaker (e.g.,guardian, roommate, family member, friend, next-of-kin, and the like).The IoT devices 112-114 and the systems 125-126 may access services,e.g., Internet services, from the core network 103 via the accessnetwork 101 or 102.

The access networks 101-102 may comprise a Wireless-Fidelity (Wi-Fi)network, a cellular network (e.g., 2G, 3G, and the like), a long termevolution (LTE) network, and the like. The core network 103 may compriseany type of communications network, such as for example, a traditionalcircuit switched network (e.g., a public switched telephone network(PSTN)) or a packet network such as an Internet Protocol (IP) network(e.g., an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network), an asynchronoustransfer mode (ATM) network, or a wireless network. It should be notedthat an IP network is broadly defined as a network that uses InternetProtocol to exchange data packets.

In one embodiment, the core network 103 may include an applicationserver (AS) 104, and a database 105. For example, the AS 104 may bedeployed as a hardware device embodied as a dedicated database server(e.g., the dedicated computer 300 as illustrated in FIG. 3). In oneembodiment, the AS 104 is configured to perform the methods andfunctions described herein (e.g., the method 200 discussed below). Forexample, the network service provider provides a subscribed servicewhere a user is able to modify a negative behavior. For example, theuser may opt-in to the subscribed service to allow the network serviceprovider the ability and authorization to monitor the user for negativebehaviors that the user wants to modify. Some users may wantencouragements or actions to be provided to them when the users areengaging in negative behaviors. In other words, a user may want toreceive real time inputs from another party, e.g., the network serviceprovider, to intercede when the users find themselves engaging innegative behaviors.

It should be noted that the network 100 may include additional networksand/or elements that are not shown to simplify FIG. 1. For example, theaccess network and the core network of FIG. 1 may include additionalnetwork elements (not shown), such as for example, base stations, borderelements, gateways, firewalls, routers, switches, call control elements,various application servers, and the like.

Although a single database is shown in FIG. 1, the various types of datamay be stored in any number of databases. For instance, variousdatabases, e.g., a database for profiles of users, a database for datagathered from sensors, a database for controlling actuators, a databasefor caretakers, a database for personnel providing behavior modificationservices, etc., may be used. In addition, the various types of data maybe stored in a cloud storage. In other words, the network serviceprovider may implement the service for modifying behavior of the presentdisclosure by utilizing distributed IoT devices (e.g., distributedsensors and actuators) and user profiles that are established and storedin a cloud storage and/or a centralized server.

In one embodiment, the database 105 is used for storing various data,e.g., locations of sensors, capabilities of sensors, data gathered viasensors, locations of actuators, capabilities of actuators, profiles ofusers, etc. For example, the profile of a user may include one or moreof: a listing of one or more positive behaviors, a listing of one ormore negative behaviors, a psychological response intended for a type ofpositive or negative behavior, a physiological response intended for atype of positive or negative behavior, an action to be performed by anactuator in accordance with the psychological response and/orphysiological response appropriate for a type of positive or negativebehavior, one or more conditions for implementing the action, one ormore triggering events for detecting the positive or negative behavior,and so on. The information populated in the profile can be provided bythe individual user and/or with the help of third parties, e.g.,guardians, care givers, medical professionals such as doctors,psychiatrists, therapists and the like.

In one embodiment, the database 105 may be used to store a plurality ofactions to be performed along with one or more conditions for selectinga particular action of the plurality of actions to be performed. Forexample, the conditions for selecting the particular action may compriseon one or more of: a time of day, a type of behavior, a type of activitywhile experiencing the type of behavior, an analysis of the user'sbehavior, and an analysis of the user's response to previous actions,etc. For example, if the behavior is smoking and the person isattempting to reduce smoking over time, the action may be to send amessage to the person indicating that a maximum number of allowedcigarettes for a pre-determined duration has been reached. In otherwords, the present method may track the number of cigarettes that havebeen smoked within a pre-determined time period by the user. Inaddition, if an analysis of the person's activities over time shows thatthe person smokes when stressed (e.g., from an analysis of sweatingpatterns), the action may be to turn on relaxing music, suggesting abreak from an activity that is causing the stress, etc.

In one embodiment, the AS 104 is used for implementing the presentmethod for modifying behavior of a user. The AS 104 of the presentdisclosure is for determining a baseline for any number of positive ornegative behaviors for the user, identifying triggering events for eachpositive and negative behavior for which a baseline is determined,detecting when a triggering event has occurred for a positive or anegative behavior, and performing an action in response to the detectionof the triggering event. The behavior may be a positive or negativebehavior. If the behavior is a negative behavior, the selected action isintended to induce a change in the user's behavior for reducing oreliminating the negative behavior. If the behavior is a positivebehavior, the action is intended to reinforce the positive behavior,e.g., providing a positive feedback, providing a reward, and the like.

For example, the AS 104 may be used to implement an action, wherein theaction may comprise: triggering an environmental actuator, notifyingpersonnel providing behavior modification services and/or a caretaker,and triggering a personal actuator (e.g., medication dispenser, apersonal alert device (audio, vibration, and the like), etc. In yetanother example, the AS 104 may be used for receiving an input from athird party for authorizing the triggering of a personal actuator. Forinstance, an action to dispense medication, reduce medication, increasemedication, etc., may require an input (e.g., an authorization) from adoctor or caregiver prior to triggering a respective personal actuator.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example flowchart of a method 200 for encouraginga user to modify a behavior in accordance with the present disclosure.In one embodiment, the method 200 may be implemented in an applicationserver, e.g., an application server 104, or the processor 302 asdescribed in FIG. 3. The method 200 starts in step 205 and proceeds tostep 210.

In step 210, the processor determines a baseline of a behavior to bemodified for a user. In one embodiment, the baseline of the behavior isdetermined in accordance with a profile of the user. For example, theprofile may be stored in a database, e.g., the database 105 as describedabove. In other words, the present method attempts to deduce afoundation or a guideline associated with a behavior that a user wishesto alter or modify in some way.

For example, if a user wishes to stop smoking cigarettes, then it isnecessary to determine a baseline as to the smoking behavior, e.g., thefrequency of smoking per day, how long has the user been smoking, thebrand of cigarettes favored by the user, the time of day that the userwants to smoke, the physical location that the user wants to smoke(e.g., at home, at work, at school, at a bar or restaurant, at a sportsevent venue, and so on), the type of events that induces the user tosmoke, e.g., after a meal, drinking coffee while smoking and the like.In another example, if a user wishes to stop an eating disorder (e.g.,eating too much or eating too little), then it is necessary to determinea baseline as to the eating disorder behavior, e.g., the frequency ofeating or snacking per day, how long has the user been suffering fromthe eating disorder, the type of food favored by the user, the time ofday that the user wants to eat, the physical location that the userwants to eat (e.g., at home, at work, at school, at a bar or restaurant,at a sports event venue, and so on), the type of events that induces theuser to eat, e.g., while watching television, while attending a familyfunction and the like. In another example, if a user wishes to stop ananger disorder (e.g., showing an inappropriate amount of verbal orphysical aggression), then it is necessary to determine a baseline as tothe anger disorder behavior, e.g., the frequency of wanting to lash outat someone per day, how long has the user been suffering from the angerdisorder, the time of day that the user is likely to have an angryepisode or confrontation with someone, the physical location that theuser is likely to have an angry episode or confrontation with someone(e.g., at home, at work, at school, at a bar or restaurant, at a sportsevent venue, while driving in a vehicle and so on), the type of eventsthat induces the user to have an angry episode or confrontation withsomeone, e.g., at a work function, at a school function, at a sportsevent, at a political event, while attending a family function and thelike. The above examples are only illustrative and the presentdisclosure is not limited to any particular types of behavior to bemodified.

The profile of a user may include personalized data gathered via anynumber of sensors. For example, a user may be provided with sensors tobe installed in various places that the user frequents, e.g., a home, anoffice, a school, an entertainment venue, etc. The various sensors maythen be used to gather data over time. In another example, a user may beprovided with sensors that gather physiological data to be transmittedto a server. In another example, the user may provide biometric datathat can be subsequently utilized for determining a presence of the userat a location where sensors are implemented. For example, when thepresence of the user in the vicinity of an environmental sensor isdetected, the user's identity is then authenticated using the gatheredphysiological data associated with the user, and then data associatedwith the user can be gathered for the location. The authentication ofthe user may be performed via facial recognition, voice recognition,retinal scan, or any other known form of recognition.

In one example, the profile of the user may also comprise one or moreof: a list of one or more positive behaviors, a list of one or morenegative behaviors, a psychological response, a physiological response,an action to be performed in response to a type of positive or negativebehavior being detected. In one example, if the behavior is a positivebehavior, the baseline of the positive behavior is determined for theuser such that the behavior can be reinforced. In another example, ifthe behavior is a negative behavior, the baseline of the negativebehavior is determined for the user such that an action is performed,where the action is intended to encourage a reduction or an eliminationof the negative behavior.

In one embodiment, the action to be performed is an action selected froma plurality of actions. In one embodiment, the selecting of an actionfrom the plurality of action is performed in accordance with one or moreconditions established for selecting the action from the plurality ofactions. For example, the one or more conditions for selecting theaction from the plurality of actions may comprise one or more of: a timeof day, a type of behavior, a type of activity being performed by theuser while engaging in the behavior, an analysis of the behavior of theuser, and an analysis of a response of the user to previously selectedactions, etc. For instance, if previously selected actions have beensuccessful in encouraging the user to reduce or quit smoking in thepast, then the same actions may now be selected and taken for a currentepisode of modifying the same behavior of the user. In other words, thepreviously selected actions that have proven to be successful oreffective may again be selected for modifying the same behavior that isnow being modified, e.g., when a user relapses. The type of activitybeing performed while engaging in the behavior may comprise anyactivity, e.g., sleeping, walking, running, working, and the like. Thatis, the activity being performed when the triggering event is detectedis logged such that an analysis may be performed on whether or not thetype of activity is relevant to the user being engaged in a behavior.For example, if the person smokes when working but never while relaxingat home, the analysis may indicate a work related stress as being apossible triggering event for the behavior.

In optional step 215, the processor establishes one or more triggeringevents for detecting the behavior to be modified for the user. Forexample, suppose the behavior is smoking cigarettes and the user wishesto reduce smoking, or the behavior may comprise an eating disorder, anaddiction (e.g., drugs, alcohol, gambling and the like), an angermanagement disorder, a sleep disorder, a compulsive behavior disorderand the like. A triggering event may be an event that is detected by asensor. For example, the presence of smoke is a triggering event thatcan be detected via a smoke detector. Another triggering event may bethe opening of a medicine cabinet, a refrigerator door, a pantry door,an entry door leading to an outdoor space, e.g., the user opening a doorto go outside to smoke a cigarette, a user opening a refrigerator togain access to food. Yet another triggering event may be a detectedbiometric condition such as a heart rate or a respiratory rate of auser, e.g., the detection of an elevated heart rate or an elevatedbreathing rate of the user due to a stress condition.

In one embodiment, the triggering events for detecting various types ofbehaviors may be established in advance by the user or a professional,e.g., a medical professional. The triggering events for a specific usermay then be established by selecting from among a plurality oftriggering events that are established in advance. For example, anelevated heart rate may be a triggering event for a possible panicattack or a triggering event for a potential angry outburst. In anotherexample, drinking a cup of coffee may be a triggering event for aparticular user to be tempted to smoke a cigarette. However, drinkingcoffee may not be a triggering event for another user who is trying toquit smoking. Thus, some triggering events may have universalapplicability for certain types of behaviors, whereas other triggeringevents can be uniquely applicable only to certain individuals. Thus, inone embodiment, the set of triggering events can be set with the help ofmedical professionals and inputs from the users themselves.

In one example, the presence of the triggering event, in and of itself,may not be accurate as indicating the user engaging in a negativebehavior, e.g., a user walking into a common area where there aresmokers while the user is actually not smoking. In such scenarios,additional sensor data can be used to confirm the user engaging in anegative behavior, e.g., using biometric data, if available. Forexample, if smoke is detected, a camera (e.g., a web camera mounted on acomputer display or a video camera covering a work area) can be used tocapture an image of the user to determine whether an image of acigarette can be detected on the user's mouth or the user's hand.

In step 220, the processor monitors the behavior of the user inaccordance with the one or more triggering events that are establishedfor detecting the behavior to be modified for the user. For the exampleabove, the processor may monitor the smoking behavior of the user byreceiving input from various sensors. The monitoring of the behavior maybe performed even when the user is moving about different locations. Forexample, as the user moves from a first location to a second location,the user's presence may be detected at the second location. Then, theprocessor may start gathering data for monitoring the behavior fromsensors in the vicinity of the second location. The gathering of data inthe second location may require authentication of the user at the secondlocation. In some scenarios, the user may be traveling with his/her cellphone. In such case, the presence at the second location may be detectedwhen the user's cell phone communicates via a cell tower near the secondlocation. If the user presence at the second location cannot bedetermined as described above (e.g., via cell phone location) andauthenticated, biometric information (e.g., the user applied a thumbprint scan or an iris scan to gain access to another work location) maybe used for authenticating the user and continuing the monitoring at thesecond location.

In step 225, the processor determines whether a triggering event of theone or more triggering events for detecting the behavior is detected. Ifthe triggering event is detected, the method proceeds to step 230.Otherwise, the method proceeds to step 220 to continue monitoring. Forthe example above, the user may have been detected exiting a doorleading to an outdoor space where workers often congregate for smokingcigarettes, and a camera has captured an image of the user with adetected cigarette in the user's mouth. If the behavior is detected, themethod then proceeds to step 230.

In step 230, the processor identifies an action to be performed when thetriggering event of the one or more triggering events for detecting thebehavior is detected. For example, the processor may identify an actionto alert the user, an action to alert a doctor, an action to alert acare giver or guardian, e.g., a family member, an action to change theenvironment of the user via an actuator, etc. For example, a message(e.g., a text message or an email) can be sent to the user's mobileendpoint device, e.g., a smart phone, a computing tablet, a laptopcomputer, encouraging the user to desist the negative behavior. Inanother example, a picture of the user's children can be displayed onthe user's mobile endpoint device to remind the user that the detectednegative behavior will negatively impact the user's children. In anotherexample, a message (e.g., a text message or an email) can be sent to theuser's doctor or care giver. In another example, an audio message can bebroadcasted to the outdoor environment, e.g., requesting the user toreturn to work or to return indoor where smoking is not allowed.

In optional step 235, the processor determines whether the action thatis identified needs an input from a third party. If the action that isidentified needs an input from the third party, the method proceeds tostep 240. Otherwise, the method proceeds to step 270. For example, whenthe action involves the dispensing of a medication, the action may needan input from a medical professional, e.g., a doctor, a nurse, etc. Inanother example, if the action is sending an audible message to the userand the user is sleeping, the action may need an input from a caregiverof the user to authorize sending the audible message while the user issleeping.

In optional step 240, the processor requests for an input from the thirdparty. For example, the processor sends a request to a system of adoctor's office, e.g., system 125 of FIG. 1, requesting an input on theaction.

In optional step 245, the processor determines whether the input isreceived from the third party. For example, the processor may determinewhether a reply is received from the doctor's office approving theaction, modifying the action, or rejecting the action. If the input isnot received, the method proceeds to step 250. Otherwise, the methodproceeds to step 270.

In optional step 250, the processor determines whether a time forreceiving the input has expired. If the time for receiving the input hasexpired, the method proceeds either to step 299 to end processing thecurrent monitoring or to step 220 to continue monitoring the behavior.Otherwise, the method returns to step 245.

In step 270, the processor performs the action that is identified. If aninput is received for the action that is identified, the method performsthe action in accordance with the input. If the action did not need aninput from a third party, the processor performs the action without anyinput from a third party. For example, if the optional steps 235, 240,245 and 250 are not performed, the processor proceeds from identifyingof an action to be performed to performing the action, without an inputfrom a third party. The method then either returns to step 220, or tostep 299 to end the process.

In addition, although not specifically specified, one or more steps,functions or operations of method 200 may include a storing, displayingand/or outputting step as required for a particular application. Inother words, any data, records, fields, and/or intermediate resultsdiscussed in the method can be stored, displayed and/or outputted eitheron the device executing the method or to another device, as required fora particular application.

Furthermore, steps, blocks, functions or operations in FIG. 2 thatrecite a determining operation or involve a decision do not necessarilyrequire that both branches of the determining operation be practiced. Inother words, one of the branches of the determining operation can bedeemed as an optional step. Moreover, steps, blocks, functions oroperations of the above described method 200 can be combined, separated,and/or performed in a different order from that described above, withoutdeparting from the example embodiments of the present disclosure.

It should be noted that the above described method can be deployed withvarious different implementations. For example, the action that isperformed may comprise triggering an environmental actuator. In oneembodiment, the environmental actuator is for performing one or more of:modifying a setting of a thermostat, modifying a setting for an airflow(e.g., an HVAC system), modifying a setting for an entertainment system(e.g., playing music from a speaker, playing an audible message from aspeaker, turning on/off a television, playing a video on a display,displaying an image on a display, and so on), modifying a setting of alighting device (e.g., changing the lighting level in a room), modifyinga setting for relaxation device (e.g., turning on a tactile device,turning on a massaging device on a chair), etc. For example, the settingmay alter a temperature of a room, turn-on a fan, play relaxing music,play an audible warning message, turn-on a massage device on a chair,change the lighting level or color lighting in a room, etc.

In one embodiment, the action that is performed comprises triggering apersonal actuator. In one embodiment, the personal actuator comprises adevice for outputting a sound, generating a tactile sensation, and thelike. In one embodiment, the personal actuator may comprise a device fordispensing a medication.

In one embodiment, the action that is performed comprises notifying athird party. In one embodiment, the third party may comprise a medicalprofessional. In one embodiment, the third party comprises one or moreof: a caregiver, a next-of-kin, a friend, a co-worker, a teacher, andthe like. In one embodiment, the action that is performed comprisessending a message to the user. For example, the user may wish to getfeedback when a triggering event is detected.

In one example, the present method for modifying behavior of a user ofthe present disclosure is implemented via a dedicated database server.Furthermore, in one embodiment, the present method for modifyingbehavior of a user can be provided in the dedicated database server,e.g., AS 104, operated and managed by a network service provider. Forexample, the network service provider may operate one or morecommunications networks to provide one or more services such astelephony services, cellular services, data services (e.g., data accessand transfer services, Internet access services, and the like),multimedia delivery services (e.g., multimedia programming deliveryservices such as movies, videos, music and the like), and the like.

As such, the present disclosure provides at least one advancement in thetechnical field of modifying behavior of the user. This advancementimproves efficacy of actions for behavior modification by providing anappropriate action that is reflective of a baseline behavior of a userand a triggering event that is based on the baseline behavior of theuser.

FIG. 3 depicts a high-level block diagram of a computer suitable for usein performing the functions described herein. As depicted in FIG. 3, thesystem 300 comprises one or more hardware processor elements 302 (e.g.,a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, or a multi-coreprocessor), a memory 304, e.g., random access memory (RAM) and/or readonly memory (ROM), a module 305 for modifying behavior of a user, andvarious input/output devices 306 (e.g., storage devices, including butnot limited to, a tape drive, a floppy drive, a hard disk drive or acompact disk drive, a receiver, a transmitter, a speaker, a display, aspeech synthesizer, an output port, an input port and a user inputdevice (such as a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, a microphone and thelike)). Although only one processor element is shown, it should be notedthat the computer may employ a plurality of processor elements.Furthermore, although only one computer is shown in the figure, if themethod 200 as discussed above is implemented in a distributed orparallel manner for a particular illustrative example, i.e., the stepsof the above method 200, or each of the entire method 200 is implementedacross multiple or parallel computers, then the computer of this figureis intended to represent each of those multiple computers.

Furthermore, one or more hardware processors can be utilized insupporting a virtualized or shared computing environment. Thevirtualized computing environment may support one or more virtualmachines representing computers, servers, or other computing devices. Insuch virtualized virtual machines, hardware components such as hardwareprocessors and computer-readable storage devices may be virtualized orlogically represented.

It should be noted that the present disclosure can be implemented insoftware and/or in a combination of software and hardware, e.g., usingapplication specific integrated circuits (ASIC), a programmable gatearray (PGA) including a Field PGA, or a state machine deployed on ahardware device, a computer or any other hardware equivalents, e.g.,computer readable instructions pertaining to the method(s) discussedabove can be used to configure a hardware processor to perform thesteps, functions and/or operations of the above disclosed method.

In one embodiment, instructions and data for the present module orprocess 305 for modifying behavior of a user (e.g., a software programcomprising computer-executable instructions) can be loaded into memory304 and executed by hardware processor element 302 to implement thesteps, functions or operations as discussed above in connection with theillustrative method 200. Furthermore, when a hardware processor executesinstructions to perform “operations,” this could include the hardwareprocessor performing the operations directly and/or facilitating,directing, or cooperating with another hardware device or component(e.g., a co-processor and the like) to perform the operations.

The processor executing the computer readable or software instructionsrelating to the above described method can be perceived as a programmedprocessor or a specialized processor. As such, the present module 305for modifying behavior of a user (including associated data structures)of the present disclosure can be stored on a tangible or physical(broadly non-transitory) computer-readable storage device or medium,e.g., volatile memory, non-volatile memory, ROM memory, RAM memory,magnetic or optical drive, device or diskette and the like. Furthermore,a “tangible” computer-readable storage device or medium comprises aphysical device, a hardware device, or a device that is discernible bythe touch. More specifically, the computer-readable storage device maycomprise any physical devices that provide the ability to storeinformation such as data and/or instructions to be accessed by aprocessor or a computing device such as a computer or an applicationserver.

While various embodiments have been described above, it should beunderstood that they have been presented by way of example only, and nota limitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of a preferred embodimentshould not be limited by any of the above-described exemplaryembodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the followingclaims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: determining, via a processorof a communications network operated by a network service provider, abaseline of a behavior to be modified for a user, the baselinecomprising at least one triggering event that is established for thebehavior to be modified and at least one action to be taken when the atleast one triggering event is detected; detecting, via the processor,the at least one triggering event that is established for the behaviorto be modified for the user; identifying, via the processor, the atleast one action to be performed when the at least one triggering eventis detected; and performing, via the processor, the at least action thatis identified.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the baseline of thebehavior is determined in accordance with a profile of the user.
 3. Themethod of claim 2, wherein the profile of the user comprisespersonalized data gathered via a sensor.
 4. The method of claim 3,wherein the sensor comprises an environmental sensor.
 5. The method ofclaim 3, wherein the sensor comprises a biometric sensor.
 6. The methodof claim 1, wherein the al least one action that is performed comprisesnotifying a third party.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the thirdparty comprises one or more of: a medical professional, a caregiver, anext-of-kin, and a friend.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the atleast one action that is performed comprises sending a message to theuser.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one action that isperformed comprises triggering a personal actuator of the user.
 10. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the at least one action that is performedcomprises triggering an environmental actuator.
 11. The method of claim10, wherein the environmental actuator is for performing one or more of:modifying a setting of a thermostat, modifying a setting for an airflow,modifying a setting for an entertainment system, or modifying a settingfor a lighting device, modifying a setting for relaxation device. 12.The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining whether the atleast one action that is identified needs an input from a third partyprior to the performing the at least one action; and requesting theinput from the third party, when the at least one action that isidentified needs the input from the third party.
 13. The method of claim12, wherein the input from the third party comprises approving the atleast one action that is identified, modifying the at least one actionthat is identified, or rejecting the at least one action that isidentified.
 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the performing the atleast one action that is identified, is in accordance with the inputfrom the third party, when the at least one action that is identifiedneeds the input from the third party.
 15. The method of claim 1, whereinthe at least one action to be performed is an action selected from aplurality of actions.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at leastone action is selected from the plurality of actions in accordance withone or more conditions.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the one ormore conditions comprise one or more of: a time of day, a type ofbehavior, a type of activity being performed by the user when the atleast one triggering event is detected, an analysis of the behavior ofthe user, and an analysis of a response of the user to one or morepreviously selected actions.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the oneor more previously selected actions comprise actions for modifying thebehavior.
 19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device storinga plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor of acommunications network operated by a network service provider, cause theprocessor to perform operations, the operations comprising: determininga baseline of a behavior to be modified for a user, the baselinecomprising at least one triggering event that is established for thebehavior to be modified and at least one action to be taken when the atleast one triggering event is detected; detecting the at least onetriggering event that is established for the behavior to be modified forthe user; identifying the at least one action to be performed when theat least one triggering event is detected; and performing the at leastaction that is identified.
 20. An apparatus comprising: a processor of acommunications network operated by a network service provider; and acomputer-readable storage device storing a plurality of instructionswhich, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to performoperations, the operations comprising: determining a baseline of abehavior to be modified for a user, the baseline comprising at least onetriggering event that is established for the behavior to be modified andat least one action to be taken when the at least one triggering eventis detected; detecting the at least one triggering event that isestablished for the behavior to be modified for the user; identifyingthe at least one action to be performed when the at least one triggeringevent is detected; and performing the at least action that isidentified.